Headphones are very popular devices for privately listening to audio content, such as music or the sound track to video presentations, without disturbing others. The sound quality from headphones can often be excellent. Many headphones provide the frequency response, signal to noise ratio, and total harmonic distortion that compare very favorably to that of conventional free standing audio speakers that cost many times their price This good performance results from the fact that the speakers in the headphones are close to the user's ears and are easier to drive to achieve the same sound pressure levels. In addition, the acoustics of the room do not play a factor in the fidelity of the signal that the headphones render.
Headphone performance is generally optimized when ambient noise from the environment is prevented from entering the user's ears. Over-the-ear headphone designs which cover the ear completely to form a tight seal are generally very good at sound isolation. On-ear headphone designs, which are typically more compact, can also perform reasonably well in preventing outside noise from reducing the quality of the listening experience. The smaller and lightweight ear buds and other in-ear designs generally do not provide good isolation unless some sort of sleeve or other sealing method is used which some users find uncomfortable.
While larger than ear buds or other in-ear designs, many users still prefer traditional over-the-ear headphones due to their comfort, noise isolation and sound quality. These qualities suit a wide range of users from video game players, to music aficionados, to travelers. While current designs can perform satisfactorily, more flexibility and features when listening to audio content would still be desirable.
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